Busy Bees Day Nursery at Northampton Spinney Hill

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and their parents receive a warm welcome on arrival at the nursery. Babies happily go to their key person, reassured by their familiar faces. Older children wave goodbye and confidently make their way to their group room. Children of all ages are eager to learn. They show high levels of concentration as they quickly settle and immerse themselves in their play.

Staff teach children, from a young age, to be independent and manage their own personal needs. They encourage children to put on their shoes and coats, help themselves to drinks when they are thirsty, and wipe their own noses. Staff give children the opportunity to practise these skills in their own time and offer gentle and timely guidance when needed. Older babies persevere as they put on and take their shoes off several times before successfully getting them on the correct feet.

Children benefit from a range of activities, indoors and outside, that support their good health and physical development. Babies learn to crawl and take their first steps towards well-positioned resources that challenge their developing physical skills. They gain confidence as staff support them to safely navigate their way up and over soft-play blocks. Outside toddlers begin to take risks as staff teach them to step safely from one crate to the next. Pre-school children carefully navigate more complex obstacles as they climb and balance on crates and planks.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• The effective and cohesive leadership team demonstrate a strong commitment to providing high-quality provision for children. The manager has a clear vision for the future of the nursery. Staff's well-being and professional development are well supported. Supervision meetings are unique to each individual member of staff. Clear targets help them to continually build on their practice and effectively promote children's care and education.
• Key persons understand their role in building relationships with children and their parents. Staff working with babies work well with them, this creates a calm and nurturing environment. Their knowledge of babies' routines and next steps in learning results in their individual needs being consistently met. Staff recognise when children are tired or hungry. They ensure children sleep safely and comfortably for as long as they need.
• The manager and staff know what they want children to learn next and how to support them, so that they make continuous progress. Staff generally consider children's interests when planning experiences. However, sometimes they remain overly fixed on what they want children to do during activities. For example, during a mark-making activity, staff want children to write their names. Some children showed little interest in this and instead want to experiment using three pencils and not one. Staff remain adamant that children need to write their names. This means there are times when children are not encouraged to extend or adapt their own ideas.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported. The SEND coordinator works closely alongside staff, other professionals and parents to ensure children's learning and care needs are consistently met. Additional funding is used appropriately. For example, the manager and SEND coordinator identify and purchase resources to meet children's individual learning needs.
• Overall, children behave well. Older children show they understand rules as they listen and follow instructions from staff. For example, they wash their hands before they have food. Toddlers show they are beginning to learn how to share and take turns. Staff praise them highly as they share resources without being asked. However, there are times within the toddler room when staff do not consistently show or guide children on how to behave appropriately. This can, at times, lead to an overly loud and chaotic environment.
• Parents are complimentary about the nursery. They comment that staff are friendly and kind. In addition, they state they are informed and involved in their children's care and learning, both verbally and through online applications. Further information is readily accessible through a variety of online applications, parent workshops and new initiatives, such as the 'SEND support group'.
• Overall, the staff know the children well. They take time to find out about children's individual backgrounds and experiences. Staff use this information to help children learn about the world they live in through, for example, exploring festivals from around the world. However, activities accessible to the children daily are less reflective of the wider world or their own and others' cultural backgrounds. This limits their awareness of others and their own heritage.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to increase their knowledge of how to support toddlers to regulate their behaviour and understand what is expected of them
• support staff to understand how to offer a less fixed approach during activities to allow children to extend and adapt their own ideas
• reflect on children's backgrounds and enhance activities to represent these during daily play.